AP HUG Vocabulary (All Units)

AP Exam Cramming time eh?

Human Geography

study of people AND places: how we make places, how we organize space and society, how we interact with each other in places and across spaces, how we make sense of others and ourselves in our localities, regions, & the world

reference maps

maps used to show locations of landforms and/or places

physical map

reference map that shows identifiable natural landmarks such as mountains, rivers, oceans, elevation

political map

reference map that shows political boundaries
e.g. countries, cities, capitals, etc.

thematic maps

maps used to display specific types of information (theme) pertaining to an area

cartogram

thematic map that shows statistical data by transforming space

choropleth map

thematic map that uses shading or coloring to show statistical data

dot density map

thematic map that uses dots to indicate a feature or occurrence

graduated symbols map (proportional symbols map)

thematic map that indicates relative magnitude of some value for a geographic region in which the symbol varies in proportion to data

absolute distance

measurement of distance using a standard unit of length

relative distance

measurement of the social, cultural, and/or economic connectivity between places (how connected or disconnected)

absolute direction

finding a location using compass/cardinal direction

relative direction

finding a location without using compass direction

spatial pattern

the way things are laid out and organized on the surface of the Earth

clustering

objects that form a group

dispersal

objects that are scattered

elevation

height above sea level

spatial (geographic) scale

hierarchy of spaces (global, regional, national, local)

map distortion

all maps are distorted as a result of projecting a 3-dimensional surface onto a 2-dimensional surface in area, distance, shape, and/or direction

map projection

a way to transfer the 3-dimensional earth onto a 2-dimensional map to reduce distortion in area, distance, shape, and/or direction

geographic data

information that identifies the geographic location of features and boundaries on earth (natural and constructed)

geospatial technologies

technology that provides geographic data that is used for personal (navigation), business (marketing), and governmental (environmental planning) purposes

GIS (Geographic Information System)

• map created by a computer that can combine layers of spatial data
• data is displayed and analyzed to gain insights into geographical patterns/relationships
  e.g. vulnerability of the Florida Aquifer, school boundaries, crime rates

satellite navigation systems

system of satellites that provide geo-spatial positioning (GPS)

remote sensing

collecting data with instruments that are distant from the area of study

online mapping and visualization

compilation and publication of web sites that provide graphical and text information in the form of maps/visuals

census data

systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population

satellite imagery

images of earth collected by satellites operated by governments and businesses around the world

absolute location

describes the precise location of a place using the Earth's Graticule (latitude & longitude)

relative location

describes the location of a place relative to other human and physical features

space (geography)

relational concept that acquires meaning and sense when related to other concepts

place

describes an area on the surface of the Earth with distinguishing human & physical characteristics

pattern

an arrangement of objects on earth, including the space in between those objects

human-environment interaction

describes the ways humans modify or adapt to
the natural world

distance decay

the idea that the likelihood of interaction/influence diminishes with increasing distance

time-space compression

term that refers to the increasing sense of connectivity that seems to be bringing people closer together even though their distances are the same

time space convergence

term that refers to the greatly accelerated movement of goods, information, and ideas during the 20th century made possible by technological innovations e.g. TV, internet, satellite communication

movement (geography)

describes the ways in which people, goods, and ideas move from place to place

flows (geography)

movement in a steady stream

globalization

the process of increased interconnectedness among countries most notably in the areas of economics, politics, and culture

network

a system of interconnected people or things

sustainability

meeting an increased demand for resources (energy, food, fuel) in a way that protects the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

natural resources

something found in nature and is necessary or useful to humans

land use

the function of land

environmental determinism

theory that a society is formed and determined by the physical environment, especially the climate; the physical environment predisposes societies towards particular development; human society development is controlled by the environment

possibilism

theory that the environment sets certain constraints or limitations but people use their creativity to decide how to respond to the conditions of a particular natural environment

spatial scale

analyzing data at a variety of scales-global, regional, national, local

scale of data (scale of analysis)

analyzing data at different scales reveals variations/different interpretations of data

region

describes an area on Earth marked by similarity in some way (a way to organize space)

regionalism

refers to a group's perceived identification with a particular region

formal region

region marked by a shared trait (cultural, physical, etc.)

functional region

region marked by a particular set of activities that occur

perceptual/vernacular region

region that exists as an idea or as part of someone's "mental map"

regional boundaries

transitional and often contested and overlapping

regional analysis

analyzing regions at a variety of scales-global, national, local

population distribution

the pattern of people scattered over an area

population density

the number of people within a given area

human factors

culture, economics, history, politics

physical factors

climate, landforms, water bodies

ecumene

the habitable parts of the world

population density

measure of total population relative to land size

arithmetic population density

measure of the number of people within a given area divided by the total land area

physiologic population density

measure of the number of people per arable (farmable) land

agricultural population density

measure of the number of farmers per arable land

population pyramid

provides a visual representation of a population in terms of age and sex as well as a good indication of the dependency ratio within a country and is used to assess population growth and decline and to predict markets for goods/services

total fertility rate (TFR)

the average number of children a woman will have during her childbearing years (15-49)

birth rate

number of live births in a single year for every 1000 people (in a population)

replacement fertility level

2.1 (slightly higher than 2.0 to account for infant/childhood mortality/childless women)

mortality (death) rate

number of deaths in a single year for every 1000 people (in a population)

infant mortality rate

number of deaths during the 1st year of life (per 1000)

child mortality rate

number of deaths of between the ages of 1 and 5 (per 1000)

maternal mortality rate

number of deaths during or shortly after childbirth (per 100,000)

migration

involves a degree of permanence when moving to a new locale

emigration (out migration)

describes movement out of a particular place

immigration (in migration)

describes movement to a particular place

natural increase

birth rate minus death rate

population doubling time

the length of time for a population to double in size

Demographic Transition Model

describes the relationship between population and the development of a country and can be used to explain population change over time

epidemiologic transition (mortality revolution)

increase in population due to medical innovation (modern medicine) causing a decrease in the death rate

population explosion

the very great and continuing increase in human population in modern times

Thomas Malthus (1798)

argued that the size and growth of a population depends on the food supply and agricultural methods AND when there is an insufficient supply of food, people die

Ester Boserup (1965)

theorized that people will find ways to increase food production and improve agricultural methods in times of pressure

pro-natalist population policies

policies that provide incentives for women to have children, typically in countries with declining populations: Japan, Singapore, Denmark, Germany, Italy

anti-natalist population policies

policies that encourage couples to limit the number of children they have

immigration policies

policies that address the movement of persons across borders

Ravenstein's laws of migration (1885)

every migration flow generates a return migration flow, most migrants move a short distance, migrants who, move longer distances tend to choose big-city destinations, most migrants are from rural areas, migration is caused mostly by economic reasons

population aging

determined by birth rates, death rates, and life expectancy

life expectancy

average number of years an infant newborn can expect to live; number varies within countries, cities, ethnicities, sexes, and between MDCs and LDCs

aging population

an increasing median age in the population due to declining fertility rates/rising life expectancy

dependency ratio

a measure of the economic impact of younger and older cohorts on the economically productive members of a population

pull factors (migration)

characteristics that attract a person to a place

push factors (migration)

characteristics that make a person want to leave a place

intervening opportunity

the presence of a nearer opportunity that greatly diminishes the attractiveness of sites farther away

intervening obstacle

an event or obstacle that discourages people from migrating

genocide

premeditated effort to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, religious group e.g. Rwanda, Holocaust, Cambodia

ethnic cleansing

the effort to rid a country/region of a particular ethnicity either through forced migration or genocide, e.g. former Yugoslavia

forced migration

an individual migrates against his/her will, including events that produce slaves, refugees, internally displaced persons, and asylum seekers

refugee

individuals, protected by law, who cross national boundaries to seek safety from armed conflict or persecution

asylum seeker

individuals who flee their home country and applies for protection, but their request for sanctuary has yet to be processed, once processed, they are either given refugee status or refused and returned to their home country

internally displaced person (internal refugee)

individuals who leave their home due to conflict, human rights abuse, war, or environmental catastrophes, but do not leave their country to seek safety